Ann Iverson wore an electric blue No. 3 Iverson jersey, autographed by Julius Erving, and madly waved signs that said, "That's my son!" At halftime, a fan asked her to sign a poster that proclaimed, "Iverson for MVP."

"I hope other people think that way," Mrs. Iverson said. "Because that's how I feel."

It's an interesting question. Can a 6-foot blur who takes more shots in a game than some 76ers teammates attempt in a week be considered the most valuable player in the NBA? Can someone of Iverson's size reign above the giants of basketball?

"Easily so," said Wilt Chamberlain, a Hall of Famer who won four MVP trophies for the Philadelphia Warriors and 76ers. "Iverson is a gutty, hard-nosed basketball player. He'll get knocked (down) . . . 5,000 or 6,000 times, but he always bounces back up.

"And that makes me wonder about the Great One," Chamberlain continued, referring to five-time MVP Michael Jordan. "You never saw him get knocked (down)."

So Iverson has already convinced Chamberlain, one of the greatest ever to play. But because of his size, suspect defense and bad-boy image, Iverson knows it may be awhile before he actually gets to hug an MVP trophy.

"I know there are so many great players in this league, with Karl Malone and Tim Duncan and a lot of guys," Iverson said. "I feel like I'm the best player in the league, and they probably feel the same way. That's just my confidence and me believing in my ability. That's it, not to be cocky or conceited or thickheaded or anything."

Iverson, in his third season, is in a tight race with Shaquille O'Neal for the scoring title. The Sixers have clinched their first winning season since 1990-91 and are close to making the playoffs for the second time this decade.

But is that enough for Iverson to get some MVP votes?

"Iverson does as well as Karl Malone or anyone else in helping his team win," Chamberlain said. "The MVP should be the person who does the most for his team."

With Jordan in retirement, Iverson is competing with the likes of O'Neal, Malone, Duncan, Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning for the MVP award. Voters from the media rank five players on their ballots.

Iverson probably won't get enough top spots. He still takes too many bad shots, and he is shooting 41 percent and approaching 1,000 field goal attempts. The Sixers have played on national TV only three times, and Iverson doesn't have to be told that his image problem hurts him, too.

There is another obstacle. If all the MVPs in league history could get together for a team picture with Iverson, he would look like the ball boy. To find an MVP close to Iverson's stature, you have to go all the way back to the 6-foot-1 Bob Cousy in 1956-57. If his day ever comes, Iverson would be the shortest MVP ever.

"From '65 on after Oscar Robertson won, all the players who won were centers," said Erving, who broke that streak in 1981 with the Sixers. "So I opened the door for non-centers to win. And now this is another opening, so to speak, something that hasn't happened for a long time."

Even Sixers coach Larry Brown, a tough critic, is beginning to recognize the improvement in Iverson's game. Brown has all but forgotten about the time he benched the 23-year-old Iverson for cursing at him during a game this season.

"His shot selection has got to get better," Brown said. "He has got to get a more consistent outside shot, and he has got to be a better defender. If he works on these areas of the game, the guy has a chance to be considered for MVP. Michael, Magic and Isiah, they all did it."

And just as Jordan, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas did, Iverson is learning to cultivate relationships with the media -- and just as important, referees.

"He's been great with us," veteran referee Hue Hollins said. "He's not as belligerent as he was, say, in his rookie year."

Erving, also a three-time MVP of the ABA, said, "There is some ambassador responsibility in there that goes with the territory. Guys always fight it, and Allen would be one of the guys to fight it."

In a TV interview last week, Iverson said he had already decided what he wants written on his tombstone: "Misunderstood."

"I'll put that on there," his mother said. "But I'll put at the bottom, `Not by everybody.' If people would just sit down and get to know my baby, they'd fall in love with him."